Bright House Media is a Marin County web design agency that builds websites for private schools, preschools, childcare centers, tutoring and test preparation services, enrichment programs, and camps. We design WordPress sites that help prospective families understand your program, take the next step in admissions, and find what they need once enrolled. Every site is mobile friendly, accessible, SEO-ready, and simple for your staff to update. Most school and program websites take 8 to 12 weeks, and smaller program sites take 4 to 8 weeks.
We're based in Marin County, with more than 8 years of experience in WordPress, SEO, and HubSpot. We understand that a school website has to serve several audiences at once, and that the people updating it are usually busy with other work.
Who Your Website Has to Serve
Prospective Families
They're comparing several options, often late at night on a phone. They want to know your philosophy, ages served, schedule, tuition approach, and how to visit.
Current Families
They want the calendar, forms, lunch or pickup details, and announcements, with as few taps as possible.
Staff and Job Seekers
Teachers look at your site to judge whether they'd want to work with you.
Donors and the Community
Supporters want to see your mission, your impact, and how to give.
A good school website gives each group a clear path, without burying prospective families under information meant for current ones.
Education in Marin County
Marin families take education seriously, and they have many choices. The county has well-regarded public schools alongside independent schools, faith-based schools, Montessori and Waldorf programs, language immersion, outdoor and nature-based preschools, and a wide range of tutors and enrichment providers. Parents research carefully, ask friends, and read everything.
That makes clarity your advantage. Families aren't looking for slogans. They want to understand what a day looks like, what you believe about learning, and whether their child would thrive with you.
What We Build
Admissions Pages
We lay out the process step by step, with dates, requirements, and a prominent way to inquire or schedule a tour.
Inquiry, Tour, and Enrollment Forms
We build short forms that work on a phone, and connect them to your email, CRM, or enrollment system.
Program and Curriculum Pages
We give each age group, grade band, or class its own page, with schedules, approach, and what children learn.
Calendars and Events
We add a calendar that's simple to update, with open houses, holidays, and deadlines that families can add to their own phones.
Faculty and Staff Pages
We introduce your teachers with photos and short bios, which builds trust faster than almost anything else.
Tuition and Financial Aid
We present tuition, fees, and aid clearly, in whatever level of detail you choose to share.
Parent Resources
We organize handbooks, forms, and links, with a password-protected area where appropriate.
Giving and Fundraising
We add online donations, annual fund pages, and event registration for auctions and galas.
Employment
We add a careers page that tells teachers why they'd want to join you.
Websites for Preschools and Childcare
Parents choosing early care are making an emotional decision. They want to see the space, meet the teachers, and understand the daily rhythm.
- Ages served, hours, and schedule options, stated plainly
- Your philosophy, in everyday language
- Photos of classrooms and outdoor areas
- Teacher bios and qualifications
- Your license number, where applicable
- Health, safety, and pickup policies
- A simple way to join a waitlist or book a tour
Websites for Tutoring, Test Preparation, and Enrichment
For tutors, learning centers, music and art studios, coding programs, and sports academies, the website should make it easy to understand the offering and sign up.
- Subjects, levels, and formats, such as individual, group, or online
- Instructor backgrounds
- Schedules and locations
- Online booking, registration, and payment
- Honest descriptions of results, without score or admission guarantees
- Reviews from families, shared with permission
Websites for Camps and After-School Programs
Camp registration often opens months ahead, and popular sessions fill fast. We build session listings with ages, dates, prices, and availability, connect registration and payment tools, and add waitlists. We also suggest publishing next season's page early, since parents begin searching in winter.
Protecting Student Privacy
Schools hold a special responsibility for children's safety and privacy. We build with care, and we encourage clear policies.
- Get written permission before posting any child's photo, and keep a record.
- Avoid pairing a child's full name with their photo.
- Keep class lists, schedules, and pickup details out of public pages.
- Collect only the information you need on forms.
- Use secure, reputable tools for enrollment and payments.
- Limit who has administrator access to the site.
Laws on student records and children's online privacy may apply to your school, depending on your funding and the tools you use. Please review your obligations with your attorney or governing body. This is general information, not legal advice.
Accessibility for Every Family
School websites should work for everyone, including parents and students with disabilities. We build with accessibility in mind: readable text, strong color contrast, keyboard-friendly navigation, image descriptions, captioned video, and forms that work with screen readers. We also recommend posting key information as web pages, not only as PDFs, which are often hard to read on phones and with assistive technology. Learn more about our website accessibility services.
Easy for Busy Staff to Update
The person who updates a school website is rarely a web professional. It may be an office manager, an admissions director, or a parent volunteer. We set up simple editing screens for the things that change most, such as news, events, and staff. We train your team, provide short written instructions, and offer hosting and maintenance plans for the technical upkeep.
Connecting Your School Systems
Most schools already use an enrollment or student information system, a payment tool, and an email platform. We don't replace those. We link to them clearly, embed forms where the vendor allows, and match the look as closely as possible, so families move from your website to your systems without confusion.
Getting Found by Families
Parents search by town and by type: "preschool in Mill Valley," "private middle school Marin," or "math tutor San Rafael." We help you appear.
- A clear page for each program, grade band, or service
- Your town and the communities you draw from, named in plain text
- A complete Google Business Profile with photos and accurate hours
- Structured data that identifies you as a school or educational organization
- Open house and event pages published well in advance
- Genuine reviews, requested within Google's guidelines
No one can guarantee specific rankings, and SEO results typically build over three to six months. Many families now ask AI assistants for recommendations too, and clear program details and FAQs make your school easier to recommend.
Communicating in an Emergency
Smoke days, storms, and power shutoffs can close a school with little notice. We add a simple alert banner that staff can turn on from a phone, and we host your site in professional data centers, so it stays online when local power is out. Your website should support your main notification system, not replace it.
What Every School Website Includes
- Custom design that reflects your school's character
- Mobile-responsive layouts for phones, tablets, and desktops
- Clear navigation for prospective and current families
- Inquiry and tour forms connected to your email or CRM
- An easy-to-update calendar and news section
- Fast-loading pages with optimized images
- SEO-ready structure and structured data
- Accessibility best practices
- SSL security and backups
- Staff training
Our Process
1. Discovery
We meet with your leadership, admissions, and office staff to learn your goals and audiences.
2. Plan
We map out the site structure, content, and integrations.
3. Design
We create a custom design, refined with feedback from your team.
4. Build
We develop the site, connect your systems, and load content.
5. Launch and Train
We test, launch at a quiet point in your calendar, and train your staff.
Why Choose Bright House Media?
- Based in Marin County, and happy to meet on campus
- More than 8 years of experience in WordPress, SEO, and HubSpot
- Experience with nonprofit and community organizations
- Careful attention to privacy and accessibility
- Sites that non-technical staff can manage
- You own your domain, content, and website
We work with schools and programs throughout Marin, including San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Larkspur, Corte Madera, San Anselmo, Fairfax, and Tiburon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designs school websites in Marin County?
Bright House Media designs websites for Marin County private schools, preschools, tutoring centers, camps, and enrichment programs, with admissions pages, forms, calendars, and easy-to-update WordPress sites.
How long does a school website take?
Most school and program websites take 8 to 12 weeks. Smaller program sites take 4 to 8 weeks.
Can our staff update the website themselves?
Yes. We set up simple editing screens for news, events, and staff, and train your team before launch.
Can you connect our enrollment or registration system?
Yes. We link to or embed your existing enrollment, registration, and payment tools where the vendor allows.
How do you handle student photos and privacy?
We recommend written permission for every child's photo, avoiding full names with photos, and keeping schedules and class lists off public pages.
Will our website be accessible?
We build with accessibility best practices, including contrast, keyboard navigation, image descriptions, and accessible forms. We don't certify legal compliance.
Do you work with preschools and small programs?
Yes. We build right-sized sites for preschools, childcare centers, tutors, and enrichment programs.
How much does a school website cost?
Pricing depends on the size of the site and the integrations involved. Contact us for a free consultation and quote.
Let's Build Your School's Website
Ready for a website that helps families choose you? Contact Bright House Media for a free consultation.
- Email: info@brighthousemedia.org
- Phone: (415) 450-5490